Bleach: The Lost Saga
by Harbinger of Light
Summary: Cain Nightshade's life was abruptly cut short on the day of his 18th birthday. Follow his story as he travels to Soul Society and becomes a Shinigami...and becomes entangled in the makings of the war between Aizen and Soul Society.
1. Chapter 1: Death

**A/N: This is the origin story of my Original Character: Cain Nightshade. For those you have read my other Bleach story, True Darkness, you are somewhat familiar with this character, if you haven't read that, it might help but it's not necessary.**

**Disclaimer: I'm only saying this once; I do not own Bleach or any of the characters and never will. Cain Nightshade and any other OC's are mine.**

**Bleach: The Lost Saga**

**Chapter One: Death**

_March 29, 1903_

As the sun began to rise over the city of Tokyo, the populous started to make their ways outside to begin their days, and a young man of eighteen watched the city awaken from the rooftop of his family's manor. The young man's father was a wealthy merchant from Europe who came to Japan to make a fortune. His name was Cain Nightshade.

Cain's family had moved here eight years ago, and quickly became very wealthy. Cain had resented his father for deciding on the move, but had adjusted well to this country.

As the sun fully rose Cain sighed and mumbled to himself, "I suppose I should head down, today's the day." As he said this he ran his fingers through his chin length black hair. He looked out over the city once more, then up at the sky, narrowing his eyes when he saw a slight shimmer. He then felt cold for a moment then whispered, "I have a bad feeling about today." With that he headed back to the stairs to go inside.

* * *

As Cain neared the dining room he could hear his family talking amongst themselves, particularly his father asking his sister, "Where is your brother?"

"I don't know, probably on the roof like usual," his younger sister of age seven, Lilith, replied.

"I'm right here, I was watching the sunrise," Cain said simply as he sat down, barely sparing his father a glance.

"Happy birthday Nii-san!" Lilith exclaimed as she jumped up to hug her brother.

"Thank you Lilith," he said as he returned the embrace with a smile. His father simply grunted to this, which Cain replied with a curt nod.

"Yes, happy birthday dear," his mother said as she came in with the breakfast she had prepared.

"Thank you mother, and that smells delicious," Cain replied with another smile as Lilith returned to her seat and breakfast was placed on the table.

The family ate breakfast in silence until Cain's father finished and asked in a serious tone, "So Cain, are you ready to start working at the shipping company?" Cain's father owned his own shipping company, and expected Cain to take over someday.

Lilith and their mother exchanged a concerned look as they felt the tension build up immediately.

Cain calmly put the bite of food he was about to eat back on the plate before replying, "You know damn well that I want nothing to do with your shipping company."

"It is the family business and has provided us with more wealth than anything _you_ could possibly do in this country," his father shot back.

Cain calmly stood up and said, "Say whatever you want, but I will not have anything to do with it." With that he walked out of the dining room to go to his bedroom to get changed for the day, Lilith quickly got up to follow him.

Lilith waited outside Cain's room as he got changed, he soon emerged wearing the typical European clothing: slacks, an undershirt, and a dark jacket.

"Where are you going Cain?" Lilith asked in a sad tone.

"I just need to take a walk to clear my head, I'll be back soon enough," Cain replied as he ruffled his sister's hair affectionately.

As he began to walk away she asked, "Have you seen any lately?"

Cain stopped as he answered, "Only a few, and they seemed frightened about something. And I've heard strange howls at night, something's not right." With that said he continued on his way. Cain had been able to see spirits since he turned twelve, only his sister knew he had the ability to see and interact with spirits. He has also heard two voices in head, both muffled and impossible to interpret what they were saying, he kept this fact to himself.

Cain managed to get out of the house without encountering his father again, and began to walk down the side of the road towards the shops that were opening. As he walked down the road he was greeted by several of the locals he was familiar with, and he looked around to see no spirits in the immediate area.

After he stopped at a stand and purchased a rice ball, he sat down at the edge of a stream to rest for a few minutes in peace.

As he finished his rice ball he heard a female child's voice, "You're the one who can see us right?"

He looked up to see a small girl who looked to only be around the age of his sister, but the chain attached to her chest revealed that she was in fact the spirit of a deceased child.

"Yes, I can see you. Is there something I can help you with?" Cain asked, he had learned that because he could see them, spirits were often attracted to him to ask if he could help them finish something before passing on.

"Well…could you come with me to my hiding place, I hid something that belongs to my mother there, and I want to give it back to her," the girl asked hesitantly.

Cain smiled slightly before standing and replying, "Very well, lead the way…uh…what is your name?"

"Kagura, and you?" the girl replied.

"My name is Cain, lead the way Kagura," Cain answered as they began to walk away. As they walked away, the air above them shimmered slightly, and two yellow eyes appeared along with the sound of malevolent laughter before it vanished again.

* * *

"I can't seem to find it, are you sure it's here?" Cain asked as he searched the girl's hiding place, a small fort made in a thicket surrounding a large tree.

"Yes, it has to be here, maybe by that rock," Kagura insisted in an urgent tone.

As Cain moved the stone out of its resting place, a small golden charm on a chain. "Is this what I'm looking for?" Cain asked as he held the charm up for Kagura to see.

"Yes, that's it! Now we can bring it to my mother!" Kagura exclaimed happily, and began to lead Cain towards her home, meaning she took off running and Cain had to catch up before he lost sight of her.

As they neared the house, they found Kagura's mother sitting outside with tears still in her eyes. "Is there anything you want me to tell her for you?" Cain asked quietly.

Kagura thought for a moment before replying, "Tell her I love her, and not to worry about me." Cain nodded as they walked up to the woman.

Kagura's mother looked up as Cain approached and asked, "Can I help you?"

"I have something for you," Cain said as he held out the golden charm for her to see.

She gasped as she took it from him and stuttered, "H-how did you…"

"Kagura showed me where it was, and wanted me to give it to you," Cain relied in a gentle tone.

"My daughter? She died a week ago how could she have…" she trailed off as Cain began to speak again.

"She says that she loves you, and not to worry about her," Cain stated as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you so much," she replied as she began to tear up.

* * *

After a little while of sitting with Kagura's mother, Cain and Kagura walked the town for a while longer before heading to a nearby field to rest a bit.

"Thank you for helping me Cain, I didn't want to pass on without making sure she got that back," Kagura said she laid down on the ground beside Cain who was sitting.

"It's alright, how could I refuse somebody's last request?" Cain asked with a smile.

"I think I'm ready to go now," Kagura said as she stood up.

"Sorry little girl, but you're not going anywhere but my stomach!" a raspy voice shouted from behind them.

They both spun around to see a shimmering patch of air, which slowly cleared to reveal a large reptilian looking creature: it stood at least ten feet tall, had dark green scaly skin, a long tail, claws on its hands and feet, a bone-white mask with sharp teeth, green lines along both sides, and yellow covers over the eye holes, and a hole straight through its chest.

"Wh-what the hell?" Cain mumbled as he stared in shock at the creature. Kagura cowered behind him as the creature looked hungrily at her.

"So you can see me too human? I knew you could see her, but to think you have enough reiatsu to see me, I'm surprised," the creature said in slight excitement.

"Reiatsu?" Cain asked, the word being foreign to him.

"It doesn't matter, since you're both about to be my lunch!" the creature shouted as it lunged at them, the mouth of its mask opening to reveal another mouth opening behind it.

Cain grabbed Kagura and threw her to the side as he jumped backwards to avoid the creature's gaping mouth. The creature swung its claws at Cain, who shut his eyes as he knew could not react fast enough. When he heard the sound of metal striking metal, and felt no pain, he opened his eyes to see what happened.

What he saw when he opened his eyes was a man dressed in a black kimono with white under-clothes, and had blocked the creature's claws with a katana.

"Who are you?" Cain asked the person, hoping to figure out what was going on. The creature jumped back ward as he asked.

"That doesn't matter, get the girl out of here, I'll take care of the Hollow," the man said as he got into a fighting stance.

"Hollow?" Cain asked, then realized that must be what this strange creature was, it was called a Hollow. As he made this connection, Kagura ran up to him and hid behind him again, and grabbed his hand.

"You think you can protect them from me you damn Shinigami?" The Hollow asked with an angry tone.

"Wait….you're a _Shinigami_?" Cain asked in shock.

"I thought I told you to get the girl out of here, go now!" the Shinigami shouted at Cain. Cain nodded as he and Kagura began to run back towards the city.

The Hollow tried to chase after them but was intercepted by the Shinigami. "You're not going anywhere you scum!" he shouted as aimed a slash at the Hollow's arm, which was dodged, and retaliated with a swipe of the Hollow's tail, which was also dodged. The Shinigami took the chance to slash at the Hollow's mask, the Hollow tried dodging but its mask was still damaged.

"Damn it!" the Hollow shouted in frustration.

"A regular Hollow like you doesn't have a chance," the Shinigami said cockily.

"Oh really? Well how do you like this?" the Hollow asked as it slowly became invisible, and surprising the Shinigami with a hard hit to the side, which sent him flying into a tree. "I'll deal with you after I enjoy my meal!" the Hollow shouted as it ran off after Cain and Kagura, still cloaked.

"Damn!" the Shinigami shouted as he got up and gave chase to the Hollow.

* * *

Cain and Kagura ran through the crowd in the streets as quickly as they could, Cain looking back occasionally to see if they were being pursued by the Hollow.

"Cain, what's going on?" Kagura asked in a frightened tone with tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't know but that Shinigami told us to run, so that's what we're doing, whatever that Hollow thing was, it isn't good," Cain replied as he turned them down a side alley.

As they were running they heard the Hollow shout from somewhere behind him, "Found you!"

Cain looked behind them to see a patch of shimmering air which he recognized as the Hollow cloaking itself and shouted, "Shit!" He then turned out of the alley as soon as he could, shoving his way through the crowd, the Hollow jumping from roof to roof in pursuit.

They soon entered an empty courtyard, and the Hollow landed in-front of them, uncloaking itself. "Damn it," Cain muttered as he pushed Kagura behind him, in order to shield her with his body.

"Aw how cute, out of the way, I'll get to you soon enough!" the Hollow shouted as he struck Cain from the side, breaking several ribs and sending him through the wall of a building.

Cain could feel some of the ribs protruding from his body, and could barely breathe, meaning his lung was punctured, and possibly his heart as well. The ribs hadn't just been broken, they had shattered into thousands of pieces, he knew he was finished. As darkness started to cloud his vision, he saw the Hollow close in on Kagura, and heard her calling his name, and he reached out towards her by instinct. He saw a black blur and a spurt of blood before his vision was completely taken by darkness.

* * *

Back at the Nightshade manor, Cain's mother was carrying a cup of tea to her husband, as he went to take it, it split cleanly in half. They both stared at this in shock, it was not a good omen.

Lilith came running into the room with tears in her eyes and shouted, "Mom! Dad! I think something happened to Cain! I saw his face and then felt cold, we have to find him!"

**A/N: That's the end of the first chapter, I had intended to go a bit further, but ending it there felt more appropriate. Please tell me what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2: Goodbye

**Bleach: The Untold Saga**

**Chapter Two: Goodbye**

Cain's vision had only just faded to black when he suddenly found himself standing and looking to where the Hollow had been about to devour Kagura. What he saw made him sigh in relief; the Shinigami had caught up with them and apparently killed the Hollow, as it was falling backwards to the ground with blood spurting from the vertical slash through its mask.

Cain quickly ran over to Kagura and gripped her by her shoulders and asked, "Kagura, are you alright?"

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, and replied. "Yes, he saved me before it could get me."

Cain turned to the Shinigami and the Hollow's body and said, "Thank you, Shinigami." His eyes widened as the Hollow suddenly dissolved into thin air, and asked, "What happened to it?"

"I purified the Hollow. We Shinigami have two jobs: purify evil spirits which are known as Hollows, and send Wholes, otherwise known as human souls to Soul Society, the afterlife. I'll give the two you a moment to say goodbye," the Shinigami replied as he turned to them.

As Cain nodded and turned back to Kagura he noticed her wide-eyed stare focused on his chest. "Kagura? What's wrong?" he asked her quietly. She simply pointed at his chest, when he looked down he saw the thing that confirmed his suspicion: a chain connected to his chest.

"Y-you have a chain now too, that means…" Kagura trailed off as she looked up at him with fresh tears in her eyes.

"It means I'm dead. It's okay Kagura, I'm not gonna lie and say I'm happy about being dead, but at least I died for a good reason," Cain stated as he rubbed her back.

"A good reason?" she asked in confusion.

"I held the Hollow off long enough for the Shinigami to catch up and get rid of it. Because I gave my life to protect you, the Hollow didn't eat you, so I'm alright with it," Cain replied as he ruffled her hair.

"Thank you for everything Cain," Kagura said as she wrapped her small arms around his neck and he returned the embrace.

As they separated Cain said, "Alright, it's time for you to go. I have some things I have to take care of before I go, but I promise to find you after I get there."

"Pinkie swear?" Kagura asked with a smile as she held out her pinkie finger.

Cain smirked slightly as he interlocked their pinkie fingers and replied, "Pinkie swear."

As they separated their fingers, the Shinigami put a hand on her shoulder and said, "It's time to go." She nodded and he raised his sword so the pommel was facing her. Noticing Cain's twitch at the motion of raising his sword he said, "Don't worry, I know what it looks like, it freaks a lot of souls out." The pommel then began to glow with a blue design, he then stamped Kagura's head and a light engulfed her. As the light cleared a small black butterfly flew into the sky and vanished.

"So she's in the afterlife, Soul Society you called it?" Cain asked as he watched the butterfly disappear.

"Yes, now it's your turn," the Shinigami said as he turned to Cain.

"I can't go yet Shinigami, I have something I need to do," Cain replied as he faced the Shinigami.

Before he could reply, a woman's screaming voice interrupted him, "Cain!"

They both turned to face the direction of the voice to see a woman, a man, a little girl, and a few police officers running towards Cain's very dead body.

"Your family?" the Shinigami asked simply, Cain nodding in reply.

When one of the officers confirmed that Cain's body was dead, his mother and sister burst into uncontrollable tears. Cain's father turned away and clenched his fists and mouth in order to hold back his own tears.

As they carried his body away, Lilith turned towards Cain and the Shinigami. Her eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in confusion as what she thought she saw was replaced by a shimmering patch of air. She then followed after the others down the street, struggling to control her tears.

As they went out of sight Cain asked, "She saw us didn't she?"

"Yes, for a moment at least. Can she see spirits like you could?" the Shinigami asked in a curious tone.

"Not as far as I know, but since I could it makes sense that she might be able to as well. I have to say goodbye to her before I go Shinigami. Just give me until tonight," Cain replied seriously.

"Alright, but after you say goodbye, I have to send you to Soul Society, no arguments. And I have a name you know," the Shinigami stated.

"What is it, I'd rather call you by your name," Cain asked.

"It's Daisuke, and you're Cain, correct?" Daisuke said as they began to walk down the road, Cain nodding in reply.

* * *

As the sun was beginning to set, Cain and Daisuke sat on the roof opposite Lilith's window waiting for her to go to bed so Cain could say his goodbye to her.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Cain asked, "Hey Daisuke, what did you mean when you said you purified the Hollow?"

"This may be hard to believe but Hollows were once human souls like you. When a human soul remains in the living world for too long their Chain of Fate, the chain attached to their chests, starts to corrode. If it gets all the way to their chest, they become a Hollow. The hole in their chests symbolizes that they have lost their human hearts," Daisuke answered. When Cain nodded in understanding he continued, "When I say purify, I mean just that. When a Shinigami kills a Hollow using their zanpakutou, it purifies the evil spirit, and cleanses it of any sins it committed as a Hollow, so it can pass on to Soul Society."

"Do the souls ever remember what they did while they were Hollows?" Cain asked.

"Very rarely, but it does happen from time to time. These souls often shut themselves off from others or try to make up for the horrible things they did," Daisuke replied.

Before Cain could ask any more questions, they saw Lilith run into her room crying and collapse on her bed. "Well, I guess that's my cue, isn't it?" Cain asked solemnly as he started to make his way over.

"It certainly looks like it," Daisuke replied as he followed Cain.

* * *

"Why, why did you have to die?" Lilith mumbled between her tears into her pillow. She continued to cry for several minutes before she heard a familiar voice calling her name from near the window. She turned and gasped at what she saw, "Cain!" Sure enough, there was her dead brother standing there with a chain attached to his chest.

"Sorry I'm late Lilith, I sort of got caught up helping another spirit," Cain said with sad grin. He then walked forward and kneeled by her bedside.

"How did you die?" Lilith asked as tears starting again.

"I helped the spirit of girl your age say goodbye to her mother. After that, we were attacked by a monster, I protected her from it, but it killed me. But we were saved from being eaten by it by a Shinigami; he killed the monster and sent the girl to the afterlife. He let me come here to say goodbye before he sends me as well." Cain explained. Then asked with a glance at the window, "He's right next to window, can you see him?"

Lilith strained her eyes then replied, "Not really, I can tell something is there, but no details."

"I see. Lilith, it's gonna be up to you to help the spirits around here now that I'll be gone, they'll probably seek you out like they did me," Cain stated as he turned back to her.

"I don't want you to go," she said simply.

Cain put his hand on her shoulder as he said, "I have to go Lilith, if I stay here too long something bad might happen. That's why you have to help the spirits so they can pass on."

"Alright, I'll do my best, I promise," she replied as she looked up with a small smile.

"I know you will," Cain said with a proud smile. He then started to tuck her in as he said, "It's time for me to go, and for you to sleep. Remember, as long as you keep me in your heart and memory, I'll never be completely gone."

As he went to stand she quietly asked, "Cain?"

"Yes?" he asked in return as he knelt back down to the bedside.

"Could you sing me a song so I can sleep, one last time?" she asked with a few tears escaping her eyes.

Cain smiled sadly as he nodded and started rubbing her back. He then started singing, having to use all his will power to keep his voice from cracking from his own sadness:

_Lay your head down and sleep on my shoulder_

_Lay your head down and start a new dream_

_And for tonight the moment is over_

_Drift in a lullaby here where the stars reside_

_And angels are only seen_

Lilith's eyes began to close from the peaceful sound of her brother's voice as he sang the lullaby, though she struggled to keep them open. Daisuke silently watched the scene unfold with a small smile.

_And lay your head down, the stars they have whispered_

_Hear what they say, and know that it means:_

_The moon is you guide, the stars they have kissed her_

_As she goes gently by, light as a baby's sigh_

_Safe on a fairy-tale stream_

_And start a new dream_

Cain held the final note out for as long as he had breath, and gradually let it fade into silence.

As she drifted off to sleep, Lilith quietly said, "I love you Cain."

Cain leaned down and kissed her on the cheek as he replied, "I love you too Lilith." Lilith slipped off to sleep with dried tears and a smile on her face as Cain and Daisuke silently left through the window.

* * *

"She could almost see you Daisuke; does that mean that Hollows could be attracted to her as well as normal spirits?" Cain asked after they shut the window behind them.

"It's possible yes. But I am stationed here for the foreseeable future, so I promise you that will watch out for her," Daisuke replied as presented his hand to Cain.

Cain grasped his hand and firmly shook it as he said, "Thank you Daisuke, for everything."

"Don't mention it, it's part of the job. Besides, if she eventually can see me, it means I'll have somebody to talk to while I'm here," he replied with a laugh.

"Alright, I'm ready to go now Daisuke, if I don't leave now I won't have the will to later," Cain stated as he looked at the night sky.

"Alright, this might feel a little weird," Daisuke replied as he unsheathed his zanpakutou and the pommel began to glow with the blue light. "Who knows, maybe we'll see each other again someday," he said as he stamped Cain's forehead.

"Yeah, maybe we will. See you then," Cain replied with a grin as the light engulfed him. After a few moments, the light dissipated and black butterfly flew into the night sky before vanishing.

**A/N: And that's the end of chapter 2, I hope whoever read this enjoyed, and please review. The song Cain sings in this chapter is called _A Final Dream_, by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  
**


	3. Chapter 3: Soul Society

_**Bleach: The Untold Saga**_

_**Chapter Three: Soul Society**_

Cain was engulfed by a warm light and felt the sensation of rising through the air at a high speed. For several moments this continued until he felt himself lowering and his feet settling on a solid surface. As the light cleared he found himself in what looked like a feudal era Japanese village, and he was wearing a black, simple man's kimono with straw sandals on his feet. As he looked around he saw other people of all ages wearing similarly simple clothing, making them look like peasants. He looked up at the sky and saw it was a clear blue with white puffy clouds drifting slowly. Far in the distance he could see what looked like a large, elaborate city.

An older man approached him with a warm, friendly smile. As he got closer he said, "You look confused young man, do you know where you are?"

"I guess I'm a little disorientated, this is Soul Society right?" Cain asked in return.

"Yes it is, you must have just passed over. This area of Soul Society is known as Rukongai , specifically this is the 15th District," the man replied.

"The 15th?" Cain asked.

"Yes, there are 80 districts in all, the further you get from the Seireitei the worse it is, so you're lucky to have arrived here," the man answered.

'_That means that Kagura could have ended up in a bad place…' _Cain thought to himself solemnly. His head suddenly pounded in pain and he winced. He heard the voices again; they were louder now, but still undecipherable.

"Are you alright young man? the older man asked.

"I'm alright, just a little headache and light headed," Cain replied as he shook his head slightly to clear it. After a moment he asked, "You mentioned the Seireitei, what is that?"

The older man pointed towards the city in the distance and answered, "That's the Seireitei, it's the city at the center of Soul Society and where the Shinigami and nobles live."

"You said the further you are from there the worse it is, don't the Shinigami protect the people here in Soul Society?" Cain asked in a slightly disgusted tone.

The older man sighed before replying, "Of course they do, but there are only so many Shinigami, they don't have the man power to completely patrol both the living world and Soul Society, they simply do the best they can."

"I see, can't blame them for that then," Cain stated. Another wave of pain swept over him, and he gripped his head in pain as he took a few steps back, the voices were practically shouting now.

"You're definitely not alright, come inside and lay down for a while," the older man pleaded.

Cain felt his body heating up and the pressure in his skull seemed to increase at the same time. "Stay back," he panted, not knowing what was happening. "My body feels like it's on fire, my head feels like it's going to split open," he gasped to himself.

He suddenly screamed in pain as a green aura enveloped his body and began to swirl violently, an occasionally wisp of black mixed in with the green. His scream became louder as the swirling energy suddenly shot upward like a beacon. The people in the immediate area backed away in fear and awe, not knowing what to make of this.

For several minutes this continued, the black streaks eventually vanishing from the green. The swirling energy died down until it completely vanished, leaving Cain standing and staring at the sky. He no longer felt any pain, but felt himself losing consciousness. As he fell to the ground and his vision faded he heard one of the voices, he couldn't tell what it said, but he felt he could trust that one.

* * *

Several miles away in the 2nd District two men were walking along the street, both wore the black robes of the Shinigami and each carried a sword, zanpakutou, at their hip. The one with dark, spiky hair wore an armband with an insignia on his left upper arm. The other man had long white hair tied back into a loose ponytail, though he did not appear to be old at all, and wore a white haori over his robes with the same insignia on the back.

As they walked the white-haired man asked the other, "It's such a nice, peaceful day isn't it?"

"Yes it is Captain, but you should be resting, your condition was acting up just the other day," the other replied.

"Now you sound like Captain Unohana," the first said with a sigh.

"She is the head of medical division for a reason sir. You've been spending too much time with Captain Hirako, he's too carefree for his own good," the dark-haired one stated.

Before the other could respond they both sensed a powerful reiatsu some distance away and turned towards it. After a few moments a green light shot into the sky.

"Captain, that reiatsu…what's going on over there?" the dark-haired one asked.

The white-haired man thought for a moment before replying, "It feels like the reiatsu has been suppressed for a long time, has been building up, and it's now broken free. It's most likely a new arrival from the world of the living. We need to get over there immediately."

The other man nodded as they jumped up to the nearest roof and vanished with a blur and _swishing_ sounds.

* * *

The first thing Cain registered was that he was lying on something comfortable, definitely not the ground. As he slowly regained consciousness he recognized the sound of voices conversing, about what he couldn't quite tell. He tried opening his eyes, his vision was blurry but he could tell it was night, the room being lit by a lantern. He then saw three people on the other side of the room, one voice he recognized as the elderly man he met earlier, but the other two were a mystery to him.

"Would you care for another cup of – Oh I think he's coming around at last," the old man said in an excited tone. He then made his way over to Cain and asked, "How do you feel lad?"

"I've been better, been worse too," Cain replied as he flopped his head onto the pillow.

"You gave everybody quite a scare with that light show, and you drew some interesting attention," the old man said while nodding his head towards the other two men.

Cain examined them more closely now, recognizing their wardrobe and stating more than asking, "Shinigami."

The two stood up and moved closer, the white-haired one speaking with a warm smile, "That's correct, my name is Jushiro Ukitake, captain of the 13th Division, and this is my lieutenant Kaien Shiba."

"Hey there, nice to meet you," Kaien added with a friendly smile and wave/salute. Cain found himself smirking at this despite the odd situation.

"Captain and lieutenant of the what?" Cain asked in confusion.

"We are the top ranking officers, and most powerful members of the 13th Division of the Gotei 13. That is the main force of we Shinigami, most of us are divided up among the thirteen divisions, that captains each run a division, and each division has different responsibilities. For example, the 13th is primarily responsible for patrols in the living world, though the others also patrol," Ukitake explained.

"So the Shinigami I met before he sent me here was most likely from your division?" Cain asked.

"Possibly, did you catch his name?" Kaien asked in response.

"Daisuke, but I didn't get his surname," Cain replied.

Ukitake's face light up before replying, "So you're the human that Daisuke mentioned in his report. I actually got the report after we got here; he was asking that we find you and a young girl named Kagura. He mentioned that you were spiritually aware enough when alive to see a Hollow and himself. And with the reiatsu you released after getting here I can see why he thought you would be a good candidate."

"Candidate for what?" Cain asked slowly, surprised that Daisuke had thought him important enough to mention both he and Kagura in his report.

"To become a Shinigami yourself," Ukitake stated simply.

Cain was stunned by this, he hadn't even considered the possibility that he could become a Shinigami, or thought it was possible for that matter. Before he could reply Kaien added, "It isn't every day that a soul with that much reiatsu shows up in Rukongai, you could probably be a seated officer in no time."

"You keep throwing that word around, 'reiatsu', what is that exactly?" Cain interjected.

"Sorry about that; reiatsu is spiritual power, it's what allows spirit beings to do the things they do, be they Shinigami or Hollow. All humans have some amount of reiatsu, but it's usually inconsequential, but some like you have abnormally large amounts that allow them to interact with spirits, and sometimes even more. These are the humans that when they die they can become Shinigami, or powerful Hollows depending on the circumstances. Your reiatsu must have been trapped in your body, being held in; and when you entered Soul Society the reishi, spirit particle, rich environment stimulated your reiatsu and made it burst out. Basically your pent up reiatsu needed to vent, and took the first chance it got," Ukitake explained with a laugh at the end.

"I see…that makes sense," Cain muttered as he stared at the wall.

Kaien moved closer and patted him on the back before saying, "It's probably a lot to take in at once, you should sleep on it and we'll come back tomorrow night. It's your decision to make…uh…what was your name?"

"My name is Cain, Cain Nightshade," Cain replied as he looked up at him.

"Cain huh, sounds too much like my name…oh well. And Nightshade is your surname, that's interesting…anyway, I need to get going so I'll see you later, good night Captain," Kaien rambled as he left the house.

"I should get going as well, it was very nice to meet you Cain, please think about the offer. And thank you for your hospitality Takahashi-san," Ukitake said as he stood and bowed slightly to the older man.

"You're welcome anytime Ukitake-san," Takahashi replied, with an honored tone.

Before Ukitake could leave Cain asked, "You mentioned that Daisuke asked you to find Kagura as well, why?"

Ukitake smiled as he replied, "He said that you promised to find her after you got here, he used the term 'pinkie swear' I believe. He didn't have the heart to tell you how difficult that would be, so he requested that I help you find her. I sent word that she needs to be found, and we know that she arrived somewhere between the 1st and 20th districts, which have the most regular patrols, so you can rest easy tonight, she's safe."

Cain sighed as he said, "Thank goodness." When he looked back up Ukitake was waving as we walked out the door.

Takahashi turned to him and said, "You can sleep there for the night, I have another bed in the other room that I can use. Good night lad."

"Good night, and thank you," Cain replied as the older man walked into the other room after extinguishing the lantern.

As he lay in the bed with his eyes shut Cain thought to himself, _'They're going to help find Kagura, that's good. I was starting to worry that I might not be able to find her, she'd be devastated if I broke that promise. And me becoming a Shinigami…sounds almost too good to be true.' _With these thoughts he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a vast mountain range and a muffled voice speaking to him.


End file.
